Young the Giant - American Bollywood (October 21, 2022)

Today, critically-acclaimed, multi-platinum band Young the Giant releases ACT II: EXILE the second act of their fifth studio album, American Bollywood, which will be released on October 21 via AWAL/Jungle Youth Records – listen everywhere now. The album is being revealed in four acts, with two acts remaining: Battle and Denouement.

American Bollywood will be the first album in four years since Mirror Master and the first since leaving the major label system. Since the last album, three of the band members became fathers, and of course there was a global pandemic. The album tells the multi-generational saga of the American immigrant, and the origins, exiles, battles, and denouement of reclaiming our collective identity. The band’s singer, Sameer Gadhia, is the son of Indian immigrants, making him a unique voice in American rock music. “This is not just the story of an Indian-American caught in between two worlds,” the band’s Sameer Gadhia previously said, “it’s also our universal search to find meaning in chaos.”

Of ACT II: EXILE Gadhia says:

Sometimes exile is external pressure to leave. In the Mahabharata [one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India], the Pandavas are banished from their kingdom after a rigged game of dice.

For the world, our pandemic exile has been a new reality we are still reeling from. We wonder if things will ever go back: if we can unsee what we were forced to in the mirror of isolation.

But for the immigrant, exile is a voluntary sacrifice for opportunity: the loss of homeland is a pining that is always there, even subconsciously in the children of immigrants, whose parents loss is just a formless ghost that causes trauma rippling across generations.

The album was co-produced by John Hill (Santigold, M.I.A, Phantogram, Khalid) and the members of Young the Giant, and its lead single “Wake Up”, released in June, is currently in the top 30 at Alternative Radio.

 

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Hmmf, not as into Act 2 as I was with Act 1. They kinda just... don't go anywhere. I'm all for downtempo tracks but these feels so stagnant with nothing interesting happening, especially Insomnia. The Walk Home is solid though.

 

I’ve put 1 and 2 into a playlist and flows very nicely so far. Looking forward to next two parts while trying to not overplay the first two!

 

I’m really loving each act of this so far. Some of my favorite material from them in a long time

 

I'm confused, I think the album is out but I don't see a complete version of it, just parts 1&2 then 3&4. At least on Spotify

 

it only exists as a playlist, not an album, on spotify

 

I wonder if the releasing an album in parts strategy is ever effective, just seems to annoy people. Excited to check out the full album now though.

 

yeah this release definitely confused me lol

 

I enjoyed this release cycle but I’m a big fan of the band and typically hate piecemeal releases. Apple Music doesn’t have the album available either in a convenient way

Very weirdly has eps 1, 2 and 3 listed separately and then one separate album for acts 3 and 4

 

I think this is their best album

 

I wouldn't have minded if they just left this as 4 eps but it really drives me crazy that they put 3 & 4 together but not the full thing. Very bizarre. Anyway I'm seeing them Thursday and I'm excited but I have to get listening more to these new ones

 

Yea it’s very inconvenient listed on Apple Music lol. I created a playlist with the album front to back but that’s obviously not ideal

it’s a fantastic album. I kind of love them as four separate EPs. Feels stranger almost as a full album now to me. Especially The Walk Home which feels like a closer to me falling smack in the middle of the album haha

I wish I went to their nyc show but had my wisdom tooth pulled same day :/

 

I downloaded the tracks and just made it into one album in my iTunes so it looks good

 

I’m a pretty casual fan of this band but they bring it live. I always have a great time

 

Here we go

 

Saw them in ATL this week, my 8th time seeing them believe it or not. Great show as always. The rollout of this album definitely passed me by after the first EP, but I’ve been spinning the whole thing this week and there is a lot to like!

Title track, Wake Up, Guardian Angel, Walk Home, Dollar Store, Dancing in the Rain are all really great songs. The band keeps delivering and incorporating all of the traditional Indian musical elements was unsurprisingly very well done.